Louisa's downfall rewritten
by ArtemisApollo97
Summary: Louisa, my OC and twin sister to Percy Jackson, was kidnapped by Luke (Surprise). She is forced under the mental, physical and emotional torture Luke has planned for her. How will she cope? T/M for language, some 'suggestive' moments and slight graphic content.
1. Waking up

**This is Louisa's downfall rewritten as I thought the last one was kinda crap. This one has slightly- OK, told a lie, **_**a lot**_** less humour or whatever than my other fics 'cos it's Louisa's **_**downfall**_**. Obviously it's not going to be great 'cos this is Louisa, the kick ass twin sister of Percy Jackson who is neither a Greek or Roman demigod, but strangely a mix of the two. **

**Anyway, there may be some graphical content and some unsettling scenes, maybe. I don't know if the way I write makes it as horrible as it is in my head. **

**I do not own Percy Jackson and co, but I do own my OC Louisa. **

**Onwards!**

Louisa was sure she had opened her eyes, but she couldn't see anything. The darkness disorientated her as she rose unsteadily to her feet. She backed up until her back grazed a rough, jagged stone wall. She moved to the right until her fingers brushed over a similar, adjoining wall.

While she ran her hands over the walls, walking around the small room in an attempt to find a door, she was unaware of who lurked outside.

Louisa made to hit the wall in frustration, but she remembered the wall's structure and decided against it.

Light suddenly flared from behind her. She turned, squinting and raising an arm to shield her eyes against the sudden brightness. The golden light framed around a tall, broad-shouldered man, reflecting off his sandy blonde hair, making it look like solid gold.

Louisa went for her watch.

It wasn't there.

The man tutted and held up her watch.

"You won't be needing this." He told her, slipping it into his pocket. He drew his own sword. "I, on the other, need mine." A double edged sword glowed red, radiating vast heat. He saw her quizzical look- swords were normally at their coolest- and cleanest- in their holsters. "Specially made to heat the sword to whatever temperature I want without burning me or damaging the sword." He smirked, patting the sword's holster hanging from his belt.

"So?" Louisa said, eyeing the light behind him.

"I'm going to make you talk." He spoke simply, as if they were discussing the weather.

"'Bout what?" His expression hardened.

"About the Greeks, the Romans, why you are a mix of the two and about anything I want to know."

"'N' why'd ya think I'm gonna tell ya anythin'?" He smirked evilly, pressing the burning blade to her bare arm. Louisa's instinctive reaction was to jerk her arm away, the new burn playing agony on her skin.

"When I'm done with you, not only will you have told me everything I need to know from you, but you'll be begging for mercy."

"How'd ya know I know everythin' ya need ta know?" Louisa countered. His response was to lay the flat of the hot blade to her thigh. Louisa cursed him violently and backed up, limping slightly on her injured leg. The blade had burnt through her tracksuit bottoms, leaving the stinging and burning scarlet mark visible.

"Because no-one knows the ins and outs of everything better than you." He placed the cooling blade in its heated holster. "Besides, what have you got left to fight for?" He smirked. "Percy, Annabeth, Leo, Tobias, Jessica… all of them." His features twisted evilly at the horrified look in her eyes. "Screaming, begging and crying for mercy, for help." Anger started to settle in her expression and her fists balled. "Percy tried to fight but he was an insignificant weakling. You should have seen Annabeth's horror at Percy's slow, painful and horribly tragic ending. Tobias was crying for his daddy to get up." Luke laughed coldly, rivulets of icy grief running down her spine. "He didn't stop crying. He looked very interesting on the end of my sword."

Louisa snapped, lunging at him. He sidestepped and disappeared out the door. It slid home with a hiss and a loud slam as Louisa reached it.

"I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL BLOODY KILL YOU!"

Outside, Luke laughed.


	2. Warped

Louisa had designed tortures for the Fields of Punishment with Nico. Leo had been keen to help, but didn't seem so keen when the cousins launched into detailed and graphic designs and explanations.

Luke's tortures weren't as bad, but Louisa could feel the pain herself for these ones. He was keeping her alive, but now Louisa felt an essence of pity for the punished souls. Maybe she should ease up with the 'Be a voodoo doll' stalls.

In the semi-dark cell, Louisa bit her lip as a white hot blade was pressed against her shin. Luke smirked at her, twisted the blade and drawing it back quickly. A fiery gash appeared in the midst of the new and highly painful burn, the blood almost a cool relief against it.

"Are you going to talk yet?"

"No." Louisa growled through gritted teeth. Luke's smirk morphed into a beast-like snarl and he bought the hilt of his sword down on her head.

Louisa forced herself to remain conscious, her head throbbing and darkness tinging the edges of her vision.

Luke kicked her in the ribs. She forced herself not to cry out.

"Do you want me to tell you how Leo perished?" He growled, readying another kick. Louisa grabbed his ankle and rolled onto her side, tripping him up. She heard the sound of a metal sword skittering across the stone floor and made a dash for it.

Luke tackled her. Louisa's fingers brushed the handle, but Luke pulled her back. She fought against him, hitting and kicking out as much as she could.

His fingers tangled in her hair, holding tight as if he were going to rip her hair out. "Don't you _dare_ fight me!" He snarled, slamming her head on the stone floor. Spots danced over her vision and she felt herself teetering on the edge of unconsciousness, more than before.

Luke dragged her to her feet, his other hand at her throat. "Let me tell you about Leo." He growled in her ear, making her subconscious compare him to a wild beast. "That precious Bunker nine of his was overcome by Greek fire. He tried to control it in an attempt to defend himself against me." His fingers tightened on her throat as he gave a chilling, evil laugh. "He _can_ burn, but that wasn't how I let him go." His breath was warm on her ear as she struggled against him, his breath and his cold tone oppositions of each other. "Go on Louisa, guess what I did." She gritted her teeth as he yanked on her hair. "Guess!" He ordered harshly, all smugness gone.

When Louisa didn't guess, Luke threw her against the jagged wall, her back slamming into it. Recent burns on her back flared in agony, coupling with the fresh bleeding wounds.

Luke retrieved his sword and placed it in his holster. "I told you to guess, Louisa." She glared at him. He bristled, drawing back a fist. Louisa timed it, ducking under his arm and silently relishing in his cry of pain and surprise as his fist collided with the uneven wall.

He rounded on her, storming forward. His grip was like iron on her upper arms as he steered her to the opposite wall. Louisa put her hands out to stop her front ending up as gashed as her back.

But she was trapped. Trapped between the dreaded wall and the monster keeping her prisoner. While she pushed away from the wall, he pushed her towards it, his front flat against her back. It wasn't pleasant having him this close.

Luke reached out, grabbing her wrists and twisting her arms back. He didn't push her against the wall, but leaned in to mumble in her ear. "Poor little Leo. He was so distraught at your disappearance; he hung himself from Thalia's tree."

Louisa felt her anger boiling to new levels. She kicked off the wall. Luke staggered back, letting her go to steady himself. He grazed his back against the wall, but it wasn't enough.

He charged Louisa, drawing a red hot Backbiter. Louisa dropped to her knees at the last second, rolling between his legs. Luke skidded to a stop, his sword clattering off the jagged wall with a shower of sparks.

Luke turned, levelling his sword at her chest. "I never told you about Annabeth, did I?" His tone was mocking, cold and triumphant. Louisa wanted to throttle him, but she didn't fancy her chances going unarmed against him when he held a dangerous, fiery blade. "Percy dead, Leo dead and poor young Tobias almost cleaved in two." He grinned icily. "It was such a _shame_ for the water nymphs to find her with a knife in her chest at the bottom of the la-"

"STOP IT!" Louisa shouted.

"Stop what?" Luke asked, his tone full of mock innocence. "Oh, stop telling you how you failed to protect your loved ones?" He cooed. "Huh, I haven't even told you about Jessica. Or Tyson. Or Sally. Paul. Storm. Frank. Hazel. Jason. Piper. Nic-"

She tackled him and disarmed him. She scrambled to her feet. Backbiter was unbalanced in her hand and was still fairly hot. She aimed the tip to Luke's throat.

"You're lyin'." She growled, aware her voice was trembling in anger and grief, her breaths deep and heavy. "You're a lyin' piece of shit."

"Why would I lie about something as serious as that?" Luke laughed, propping himself up on his elbows, relaxed as can be. It was as if he didn't have an angry and highly powerful daughter of Poseidon/Neptune towering over him with his own fiery sword ready to slice through his neck should he try anything.


	3. Nightmare

The cold wind sliced against her skin, bringing a sense of misery and grief. The whole camp was in denial.

Or what was left of the camp…

Cabins were smouldering wrecks, some still glowing in embers. The campers were arranged in organised lines, all kneeling and all bound and gagged. The Big House was a pile of blackened timber and a crooked weather vane. The grass was a deathly yellow, the trees and bushes were dull and leafless, their branches limp and broken. The lake was churning thickly, hundreds of deceased fish and magical sea creatures floating on the surface, glistening in oil and blood. The stables, armoury and forges were roaring with emerald flames.

The air suddenly became denser and it was difficult to breathe. Cries, screams and prayers went up from the campers. The screams soon became dominant as Cyclops dragged along limp masses. They dumped it all in clear view of the campers and tearful screams filled the air.

Lying on the floor, hastily deposited, were the broken, battered and bruised forms of Chiron, Leo, Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Hazel, Frank, Jessica, Sally, Paul, Storm, Blackjack and so many others that Louisa cared about.

A figure stepped carelessly over the bodies and he helped up the torn, shattered and tiny… no... Tobias…

Louisa stumbled into a run, but within the first few steps everything went wrong. The figure dropped Tobias's broken form onto Percy's still chest before waving his hands. The whole camp was engulfed in shadows. Tortured screams echoed around her, drowning out the sound of blood pounding in her ears.

The simplest way to put it was that it was sickening. The cursed shadows physically tore strips of flesh and muscle off the campers. Blood pooled thick and fast and the screams slowly died down. Throats were carved out, limbs were torn away and heads were ripped off. Internal organs tumbled from sliced stomachs, glistening freshly in the moonlight.

Louisa sat bolt upright, breathing heavily and drenched in cold sweat.

She couldn't stop shaking, the horrific imprints of her fellow campers ends scarred into her mind. The gloom of the room of the room reflected the horror she had just witnessed and her mind wouldn't detour to anything else.

Louisa tried to steady her breathing, drawing her knees to her chest and tangling her fingers in her hair. It took what felt like hours, but flashbacks occurred, containing close ups of her friends' faces as the famous and most honoured were dragged out and thrown aside like garbage, of when throats were ripped out or during disembowelment.

She closed her eyes, fighting back tears and sickness.

Luke. It was all Luke.

As if hearing her thoughts, light flooded the room, blinding her.

"Did we sleep well?" Louisa swallowed bile. "Excellent."


	4. Breaking

With Luke there, she forced herself to gain control of her thoughts, her sickness and grief. It was only then did she realise what she was wearing.

She was no longer in the tattered and charred clothes from yesterday. Instead she wore a silver and white Greek chiton that someone had hitched up, leaving her legs on her show.

Louisa hated having her legs on show. It was just so… un-Louisa-like.

Luke's iron-grip closed around her arm and she was hauled to her feet. "Do you like it?" Luke asked, looking her up and down with a look that made her stomach churn. "I picked it myself." She attempted to free herself from her grip, but it didn't work. His fingers dug into her muscle. "What's the matter, Louisa? Cat got your tongue?" He gave a dark chuckle, his blue eyes almost black in the shadows. "How did you sleep? You never did say." Louisa bit her lip, trying to pull away again. His other arm locked around her waist.

"Let go!"

"Answer my questions first." He snarled. There was the sound of metal scraping against metal and her leg was suddenly on fire. Luke didn't let her go, pressing the searing blade of Backbiter to her leg harder. "Does that hurt? I've been keeping it warm for you _all night_." He flipped the blade over and dragged the newly sharpened side across the back of her leg. "It was rather interesting watching the handmaidens change your clothes for you." He gave a dark chuckle, burning her bleeding wound with the flat of the blade. "Well… I wouldn't call them _maidens_."

Luke pushed her to the floor and sat astride her. Louisa went to punch him but he grabbed her wrist and moved his knee, pinning her free hand to the floor. He used his other knee to do the same to her captured hand. "Violence, Louisa, violence." He placed the flat side of Backbiter on her cheek. She couldn't help it this time, crying out as the white hot agony slammed across her face and blurred her vision. "Aw, did that hurt?" He cooed mockingly. "Does this hurt?" He put his weight on his knees, raising his sword.

Louisa forced herself not to cringe, heat waves rolling off the sword like snow down a mountain.

Luke paused. "Actually…" He mused, placing his sword in the holster. Louisa tried not to show any signs of relief and it was a good job she didn't. He drew a knife. "I've got a brilliant idea. Keep still."

He leaned over her and pressed the tip of the knife to her forearm. He pushed the knife into her arm of a good depth. Not enough for serious damage, but enough to scar. And then he started to write, carving his name into her flesh, blood dribbling onto the floor and pooling. "Well, that looks lovely!" Luke sat back and admired his handiwork. "Now the other arm… what should I write?" He was thoughtful for a short while. "Oh, I know!"

_Traitor_.


	5. Lashes

"Don't tense, Louisa, it'll hurt more."

"Son… of a bitch…" Luke smacked her across the face.

"An extra ten lashes just for that." He told his right hand man.

"Yes sir." Luke moved back and sat on a chair.

"Now, Louisa, where is Camp Jupiter?"

"Narnia." Luke waved his hand and his henchman bought the leather across her bare back. Louisa was still in that damned chiton, but some handmaidens had appeared and rearranged it so that her shoulders and most of her back were bare. At least she had been left with some decency.

Another lash from the whip. Louisa clenched her fists, pulling on the chains that kept her on her feet.

"Where is it, Louisa?" She didn't answer, which gained her a further six hits from the whip. "I'm rather enjoying this, Louisa, chains and whips- rather kinky and not like you at all." Louisa was itching to rip his face off. "But I need answers and you might lose a bit too much blood and we can't have that now, can we?" Louisa glowered at him. "Where is Camp Jupiter?"

"Somewhere." Luke motioned and his employee lashed out with the whip again, twice. Louisa tilted her chin up in defiance.

"Oh, you are a crafty one." Luke chuckled. He got up, drawing Backbiter. He placed the sweltering hot blade tip to her throat. "Answer my question."

"No." Luke moved his sword away as his little buddy slammed the whip across her shoulders. Louisa bit her lip from crying out, hanging her head and getting her pain in check.

"Fine, let's try something else. Mm… where is your father's kingdom?" Louisa slammed her knee into his soft spot. Luke staggered back.

"I will never answer you." She told him, trying to keep her voice from trembling.

"Hit her until her back is completely red." Luke straightened up as best he could, glaring at Louisa. "I want her screaming and I want answers." He aimed his sword at her. "Believe me, Louisa, you aren't even hurting yet."


	6. Noose

Louisa would never _ever_ have put 'Leo Valdez' and 'depressed' in the same sentence.

It was the middle of the night, a warm summer breeze still floating around. Louisa stood at the base of Thalia's tree, Peleus asleep at her feet. The cabins were still intact, which gave Louisa a bit of hope, but that was when she saw Leo.

Even in the dark of the night, she saw his eyes were dull and red, as if he had been crying. His hands and lower arms were covered in scratches, as if he had had trouble focusing on his work and had ended up hurting himself.

It was what was in his hands that worried Louisa.

A long, thick rope that glittered in the starlight- it was already knotted in a noose.

Louisa took a step towards him, but her hands passed right through his. "NO!" She screamed. Leo didn't notice her, looking up at the tree. Tears leaked onto his cheeks and he started to climb. "LEO!" Louisa tried to go after him, but suddenly she couldn't move her feet. "LEO, DON'T!"

Leo reached for another branch, but it bowed under his weight. He settled on the branch he was on, securing the rope to it. Louisa screamed his name again, her own tears emerging. She tried to rouse the dragon but the bloody thing slept on in peace, smoke curling gently from his mouth.

There was nothing she could do as Leo secured the noose around his neck, tears falling thick and freely down his cheeks.

His words slammed into her gut.

"Lou, I'm sorry."

There was nothing she could do stop Leo Valdez hanging himself.


	7. Promise

Louisa woke up, crying. She was too numbed by grief and guilt to notice her new surroundings and imprisonments. She tried to wipe her eyes, but found she couldn't move her hands.

"Aw, what's the matter, Louisa? We're just _hanging_ out." She pulled on the chains, but found herself choking. "Ah, I wouldn't do that if I were you." There was a noose- a cruel, yet exact replica of the one… of the one Leo used- around her neck. If she pulled on the chains, she pulled on the noose, strangling herself.

"Bastard… son of a bitch…" Louisa trailed into a series of curses and swear words, all in Ancient Greek, Latin or English. "Fuckin' little shit…"

"Done yet? I counted thirty different insults there. Thirty one if you include the last one. Let's round that up to forty, as I'm feeling generous. I'm thinking… fifteen lashes, ten burns and fifteen shocks." He waved at one of his henchmen. "Go and get them. Tell them she's awake and I need them here now." The henchman bowed and hurried out of the room. "Now, Louisa, where's Camp Jupiter?"

"I won't tell ya anythin' 'n' I never will." Luke waved his hand and the whip slashed across her shoulders again. His fingers closed around her throat and she was forced to look at him.

"Where. Is. Camp. Jupiter?" Louisa spat in his face. Luke wiped it off quickly, angering. "Another five lashes." His employee carried out the order. Luke repeated his question, yet she still refused to answer. "What will it take to break you?" He mumbled, more to himself than to her. Louisa didn't look, keeping her breathing steady to stop herself from crying out. It was as if someone had doused her in gasoline and dropped a lit match on her back.

The image of Leo's limp form strung up from the tree burned in her vision. She screwed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth, willing for the image to go. It eventually did, but left tears in her eyes.

Luke suddenly clapped. "Excellent. Fifteen shocks, maximum power." Louisa glanced up as two men separated, holding spears. One stood behind her and the other stopped in front of her. Louisa caught his eye. He held her gaze for a few seconds, his eyes widening at the torment he saw in the sea green depths, but he hardened his expression and pressed the spear tip to her stomach.

Bolts of electricity coupled with the grief, numbing her from head to toe. Her mind whirred, her thoughts jumbled and senseless. Zeus could have been having a temper tantrum, hurling bolts around.

There were fourteen more of those on top of burns and lashes.

She thought of Leo and gritted her teeth.

This was all Luke's fault.

Leo, Percy, Annabeth, Tobias, Jessica… they were all gone.

But Louisa was not going down without avenging them.

She glared up at Luke. He smirked. It was that exact moment Louisa swore to herself that Luke would suffer as much as she was. He would lose everything, like she had, and he would never return to the living.

He would never return to the living once Louisa was finished with him…


	8. Father and son

Annabeth struggled against the two Cyclops holding her back, one of them with his giant, meaty hand clamped over her mouth. An empousa stood to the side, watching Percy hungrily and holding a miserable Tobias. Percy was battling Luke in a fierce combat five feet away, their swords bronze and steel blurs in the semi-darkness of the camp. Where was the back-up?

Luke feinted to the right, a simple move Percy should have anticipated, but something was wrong.

Percy defended his right, but was too slow in drawing his sword back to parry Luke's blade. Backbiter was buried up to the hilt in Percy's stomach.

Riptide clattered to the floor as blood soaked Percy's front and back. Annabeth let out a muffled scream, tears streaming freely down her cheeks. Tobias started crying.

Luke freed his sword and left Percy to crumple to the floor. Blood pooled under the still form of Poseidon's son. Annabeth struggled harder against the Cyclops, tears falling thick and fast. Luke strolled past casually, stopping in front of the empousa, Backbiter glistening coldly as it dripped Percy's blood on the ground.

"You'll grow up to be as idiotic as your father." Luke sneered at Tobias. Tobias, obviously, didn't understand, crying from fear and for his parents. Luke's expression hardened and he lifted Tobias from the empousa's arms by the scruff of his T-shirt. Tobias cried harder. Annabeth freed another muffled cry, lunging forward a few steps but only to be yanked back by the Cyclops.

Luke poised the tip of his blade to the small of Tobias's back. "I hate children." He said, pressing his sword through Tobias's spine and out of the tot's stomach. Tobias stopped crying and went limp. Luke freed his sword and turned, stomping over to Percy's lifeless form. He threw Tobias onto the blood-soaked ground next to his father before turning to the Cyclops. "Our work here is done. Let her go." The Cyclops freed Annabeth. She drew her knife and ran at Luke, anger burning fiercely behind her tears. Luke smiled simply.

There was a flash of golden light and he, the two Cyclops and the empousa were gone.

Annabeth sunk to her knees next to the limp, staring forms of her husband and son, sobs racking her body. She rolled Percy onto his back and placed Tobias on his chest, closing both of their eyes. Ignoring the blood, they could have been sleeping.

Louisa opened her eyes, too numb with shock to even cry.


	9. Don't fight him

And it was a good job she didn't cry.

"Oh, good, you're awake. I was getting bored." Louisa tried to sit up, but didn't get very far.

Her wrists were tangled in multiple strips of thick cloth and tied to the intricately decorated mahogany headboard of a king sized bed. She tried to free her hands, but it was of no use. "I wouldn't do that." Luke said as if he were actually concerned. "You'll need your hands." His smirk was devilish and one Louisa did not like _at all_.

Luke shifted onto the bed next to her, lying down as if they just relaxing for the night. To Louisa's horror, he was in nothing but a T-shirt and boxers. He placed his arms behind his head and started at the black canopy of the four poster bed above them. "You know, the whole torture thing got a bit boring. I'm just gonna see what else I can come up with before anything else." Louisa glared at him, shifting as best she could and as far away from him as the restraints let her. Whether he noticed or not, she wasn't sure. "But I needed something else to occupy my time." He glanced at her, smirking. "Well, _someone_ else."

He tried to climb on top of her, but she landed a strong kick to his stomach. He fell back, winded.

A few minutes passed before Luke sat back on his heels. He glared at her. "You bitch." He snarled. "You'll pay for that." He pounced, pinning her beneath him. Louisa squirmed, trying to throw him off, but the lack of free hands meant he wasn't budging. "I wouldn't fight me. It'll hurt less." He tangled his fingers in her hair, making her face him. She still tried to fight him off. "Do as I say or I'll destroy both camps."

"Ya don't even know where one of 'em is."

"I'll find it. There's some low life I can torture it out off." He tightened his grip in her hair. "Now do. As. I. Say." He growled.

"NO!"

"You don't really have a choice, Louisa." He tried to kiss her, but she managed to turn her head away without ripping her hair out. Luke snarled, one hand closing around her throat. "Do you want to be the leading cause as to why both camps were destroyed?"

"Why would I do that?" Louisa choked through gritted teeth.

"Give it a few more weeks under my, uh, _care_ and your mind will snap. You won't recognise friends and family… well, if any of them are still _alive_," He chuckled evilly. "Those poor pathetic camps will never stand up against the full might of a Big Three child unleashed, especially of one that mixes the two types of demigods. Greek and Roman in one form- quite an advantage you've got there."

"I will _never_ attack those camps." Louisa growled. "Ya even try 'n' you will regret _everythin'_."

"Yeah, OK. Now _don't _fight me." She fought him, but he was right. It only hurt more.


	10. Mentality

Louisa had been given a new cell.

It was white.

That was it.

White.

White walls. White floor. White ceiling. White lights.

It was so white, it burned her eyes.

There was no furniture, no windows, no door, no nothing.

All she could do was sit on the floor and stare at the wall, too exhausted to even pace. Her ADHD mind was screaming at her to move, but she hadn't the energy or the heart to do anything.

Images flickered across her vision.

A silhouette strung from a tree, swaying in the slight breeze.

A father and a son lying on the ground in a pool of their blood.

A destroyed camp.

Terrified campers.

Blood.

Guts.

Gore.

Gone.

Just a vast emptiness. There was nothing of Camp Half-Blood. The skeletal fingers of long dead trees, dried mud vacant of all grass. Structural ruins of cabins and other camp buildings.

And a mountain of rotting corpses left out in the summer heat.

Louisa cried out, shaking her head and screwing her eyes shut. _Go away!_

"Having fun?" Her eyes snapped open, but she didn't even turn around, his voice sending icy rivulets down her spine. Another image flashed across her eyes, but this one lingered. Underwater. The water nymphs were clustering around a figure, blood rising and swirling from a wound in its chest.

Louisa closed her eyes again. The image of Annabeth, drowned and stabbed in the heart burnt into her mind.

Luke rested his hands on her shoulders. "Am I getting the silent treatment now?" His fingers dug into her shoulders. "I had fun last night. I thought you would have as well." Louisa still didn't answer. "Well, I guess I'll leave you to your thoughts then, huh?" And just like that he was gone.

_Leave you to your thoughts…_

That was worse than the name calls and taunts combined. Her thoughts were a further extent of Luke's torture.

Lightning lit up the stormy sky, illuminating the blue face of a hanging Leo Valdez, highlighting the tears still moist on his cheeks.

"_Lou, I'm sorry." _


	11. I'm sorry

She stopped seeing things in her head.

She started seeing them on the walls. The floor. The ceiling.

She stopped hearing things from a far distance.

She started hearing screams in the air around her, cries for help and begs for mercy. The clang of swords, the cries of an infant, a woman screaming…

Louisa hit the wall in frustration. In her anger, her grief, she had found the energy to pace. She turned away from one ghastly vision only to be confronted by one much worse.

"_Lou, I'm sorry_._"_

It was those words.

Always those words.

They echoed around her mind, cartwheeling every which way- _Lou, I'm sorry… Lou, I'm sorry… Lou, I'm sorry…_

She punched the wall again, no longer registering pain. There was nothing Luke could do to her now. Everything and everyone she cared for was gone. There was no point to pain, to suffering… no point to life. It was all gone. Gone, gone, gone, gone…

She sunk to her knees, hands and head against the wall.

"I'm sorry…" She breathed. Tears fell. "I'm sorry…"


	12. No-one to care about

Louisa was dragged to her feet before she was even awake. Through the fog of tears, she saw sharp, cold blue eyes, but everything else was blurred or blinding and crystal white. She was pushed against the wall, numbly falling, no longer fighting.

There was a scrap of metal her mind recognized but she was too busy watching Leo hang himself. Every time she saw it, Leo's words would sound the most, louder than anything else, more heartbroken with each flashback. And every time she saw it, her heart crumbled further.

White hot agony blazed across her arm and she jerked back to her senses.

Luke smirked at her, pressing Backbiter flat against her leg. He watched her smugly, as if he knew what she saw.

Backbiter was pulled away.

"What's the matter, Louisa?" He held up something- a noose. "Is this the problem?" He secured it around her neck.

Leo had done it. Why couldn't she?

Luke seemed to read her mind. "By all means, go ahead. But where will you hang yourself from?" Backbiter painted a scarlet line across her stomach. "Let's go find somewhere, huh?" His fingers closed around her upper arm and they were gone in a blinding flash of cold, golden light.

Louisa barely offered her new surroundings a glance. She had been locked in the new cell for the gods knew how long. As if they cared.

Anywhere she looked, she saw the suffering of her family, her friends dead or dying. Many were mutilated horrifically, making her stomach churn. Others had been shredded into nothing more but skeletons in tattered clothing. A few still had a weak hold on swords, spears or shields, defending themselves against the unbeatable.

Luke pushed her into a new room. She stumbled, but somehow found her balance. One part of her was aware of Luke stopping so close behind her, his fingers like ice against her damaged skin as they removed the noose.

She was pushed again and fell this time. Shadows furled from the ground, curling around her wrists and twisting up her arms. Louisa couldn't tell if they were actually there or figments of her tortured mind, but she was too monotonous to care.

What was there to care about?

Louisa tried to summon her thoughts to answer that question while Luke used her to please himself.

Percy, Annabeth and Tobias were gone.

Jessica was gone.

Leo was gone.

Sally and Paul were gone.

The campers were gone.

Luke's groan sliced through the fog in her mind.

There was no-one to care about.

There was no-one to care about her.


	13. Hope

**I've been called horrible and evil, but hey, I don't care! I love it! **

**Anyway, maybe you guys will like this chapter. Then again, maybe not…**

"Where's the Roman camp?"

"I won't… I ain't tellin' ya…" Louisa said through gritted teeth. Luke's jaw clenched in annoyance and he straightened.

"Another shock, I think." He said matter-of-factly. One of Luke's henchmen levelled a spear, the tip crackling with blue electricity. An arc of lightning slammed into her, snapping and twisting around her body. It was worse than the sword burns or Luke's frequent needs.

Luke rolled his hand and a blunt spear was pressed to the small of her back, a further bolt of pure electricity arching to her shoulders and numbing her legs.

Luke signalled and the duo electrocution stopped. Louisa's legs were like jelly, but she forced herself to remain standing. It was clear she was exhausted, using a lot of the little energy she had left to withstand something only Zeus and his children could remain unharmed by. "Where's the Roman camp?" He asked again. Louisa glared at him. "Would you like another shock?" The two henchmen readied their spears. Louisa eyed the one in front of her, taking note of what he looked like. If… no, _when_ she got out of here, he was so dead. "So be it." Luke turned. "Keep shocking her until she talks." He told his men. He looked at Louisa. "Try to stay alive, Louisa. I'll be very lonely tonight otherwise." Louisa spat at him. Luke slapped her, but laughed coldly and left, the metal panel door sliding home behind him.

Louisa was chained by the wrists to thick metal masts bolted to the ground and taller than she was. It was another reason, coupled with her stubbornness, why she didn't just sink to her knees and give in.

The men with the spears advanced. The one in front lunged at her. Louisa leaned to the right, pulling the left chain taut and putting it in the line of fire.

The chain snapped like thread. Louisa grabbed the spear and slammed the end of the spear into the guy's stomach. A cackle of energy behind her reminded her of the second guy. She moved to the right completely, dragging the first guy forward in time for him to get shocked by his buddy. He fell, withering and fitting, to the cold stone floor.

Louisa now had his spear.

The second henchman stabbed at her. Louisa blocked and swept him off his feet in one swift movement, willing an electric current to escape down his spine.

Louisa left the two men fitting on the floor and jammed the spear into the doorway and threw her weight against it. The door creaked and shuddered as it opened, alerting everyone and their granny Mabel.

She darted out the door and it thundered shut. Louisa still had her spear, so it was a start against the half a dozen guards in armour, armed with swords and shields, marching towards her.

They shuffled apart and Luke walked down the path between them. "I had a feeling you would escape as soon as I left." He drew Backbiter. Louisa could see the heat waves folding off the blade. She held her spear at the ready.

"Back off." She growled. Luke advanced, Backbit held out to her arm.

"I suggest you come with me." He said calmly, pressing the fiery blade to her skin. Louisa jabbed at him, the spear grazing his cheek, across his old scar. She backed up, holding the spear at the ready while he scowled and cursed quietly.

"I suggest ya get out ma way." Luke laughed frostily.

"So you can leave? What will you go back to? No family, no friends and two camps who have exiled you for the murder of nearly fifty people. They all saw you, Louisa. You made sure they did." Electricity sparked along the spear, numbing her arms, but the power wasn't alone. Her anger had triggered her own energy, a mix of sea green bubbling and snapping amongst the blue sparks of electricity.

Luke tutted mockingly at her, a smug smirk playing across his lips. "I don't know why you're getting angry at me. You're the one who killed them."

"I would never do that!" Louisa argued, grief and anger shaking her voice. "Ya told me you did all that?"

"Did I?" Luke frowned. "I don't remember that." He smirked again. "The mind is a fickle thing, Louisa."

Her anger snapped and she ran at him. He ducked the first spear swing, but didn't dodge the next attack, ending with a spear deep in his shoulder. The electricity and sea energy jolted over his body. He wasn't strong enough, a son of Hermes, to withstand the combined power of two Big Three gods.

The guards jumped into action as Luke sagged to the floor. The spear was sliced in half. All the power surrounding it dissolved into the air, offering Louisa no fucking help at all. One hit her with the boss of his round shield. Louisa stumbled back, agony searing her ribs, ensuring cracked ribs.

Two guards carried Luke to a safe distance. He was half-conscious. The other four guards battled her into a retreat, adding more bruises, gashes and damaging the rest of her ribs.

Louisa threw out her hands and a hurricane dragged the guards back. She turned to run, but met a wall of hulking muscle. She looked up into the one, half-blind eye of a Cyclops in a faded and grubby baby blue tuxedo. He smiled at her crookedly, revealing chipped, yellow teeth the size of bricks and breath that smelled of raw meat.

"The master wants you to stay. He will give me more sheepies." Polyphemus clapped happily. He reached out for her, his hands snatching at the air blindly. Louisa backed up slowly, willing the hurricane to distract him. He yelled in frustration, the roar shaking the walls, the floor and making her ears ring. "Stop it! I want sheepies!" He blundered after her, his heavy foot falls echoing like thunder down the corridor.

Louisa snatched up a shield and threw it, smacking the Cyclops in the face. This gave her time to gather another shield and a fairly balanced sword.

Polyphemus roared again and started to run towards her. Louisa kicked up another shield. It collided with his stomach heavily, winding him slightly. Louisa turned and sprinted away. The Cyclops howled in fury and she heard his mighty footsteps rumbling quickly after her.

Louisa skidded to a halt as she came to a fork. From either side, small armies of demigods and demons marched in formation towards her.

The torture and the hurricane had been tiring. What could she do against a half-blind, but really strong and big Cyclops and two small armies?

Not a lot.

Louisa threw a prayer up to her father, like she had done thousands of times over the past… gods knew how long. There had been no response and she started to resent her father, even though her mind and instincts screamed at her that the resent she felt was triggered by the torture and mind games Luke had enforced and played.

Polyphemus blundered towards her. The armies joined together in phalanx formation, shields up and spear bristling over the top. Louisa looked back in time to fall to her knees, lowering her head close to the floor and placing her hands on the back of her head. Polyphemus was too fat and blind to slow down, barrelling straight over Louisa and into the army. Louisa, miraculously, remained unharmed. She scrambled to her feet and ran back the way she had come.


	14. Help

"Going somewhere?" Louisa slid to a stop, raising her shield and readying her sword. Luke was fully conscious, sooner than she had hoped.

Luke lunged with Backbiter, a fiery gash slicing along her cheek. He stepped back and admired his handy work. "You'll have a scar just like mine." He sneered. Louisa retaliated, hefting the shield to block his attack and swiping at his midriff. Luke parried and tried to get her to drop the shield. Louisa slashed at his head, advancing when he backed up. She slammed the boss of her shield into his ribs, hoping that he would understand the agony her ribs were causing her. Luke staggered back and she pounced, slicing through the straps in his armour. The armour fell to the floor in two pieces, clattering against the stone. Luke seemed surprised, but quickly recovered as she nearly took his head off.

They exchanged violent slashes and steady parries, drawing blood repeatedly. His sword was no longer hot, which suited Louisa fine. She also noticed that there were more bloody gashes on him than her and the pain she felt all over had temporarily subsided.

_Kick his ass, Louisa. Kick his ass._

Louisa found herself smiling in the middle of a mortal battle.

Her father was helping.

Luke was _so _going down.


	15. Chance for revenge

Her father's power kept the pain at bay, making it easier to beat Luke into a pulp. He continued the attempts to make her drop her shield, but it was _so_ not happening.

Louisa bought her sword round in a diagonally upwards and wide slash. A deep injury oozing blood appeared, running from his left hip to his right shoulder. She followed the move by shoving her shield boss into his face, grinning coldly as he cried out and staggered back. His sword clattered to the floor as his hands covered his broken face. Blood seeped through his fingers and dribbled down his neck.

Louisa slashed again and Backbiter's empty sword holster fell to the floor. She dropped her sword and gathered Backbiter. She kicked the holster up and quickly slid the dual edged sword into its heated container.

While Luke sank to the floor, his face oozing with blood and staining his hands crimson, Louisa contemplated a plan while the sword heated up. She eventually got bored waiting, and dragged her sword across the floor, making it screech threateningly. Unable to see, Luke gave a fearful whimper and shuddered.

"Not so tough now, are ya?" Louisa said monotonously. Luke stilled his trembles.

"What 'ill 'ou do?" He asked thickly. **("What will you do?")** Louisa looked at the still heating Backbiter.

"I want ta make ya hurt 'n' fuck with ya mind, like ya did ta me." Louisa steadied her breathing as her father's magic wore off. All the pain- not just the physical, but the mental and emotional- were making a comeback.

"Will 'ou?" **("Will you?")**

"No." He jerked in surprise. "I ain't like you. Now I'm goin' home 'n' if ya try 'n' stop me, you or ya little buddies, I _will_ make you hurt." She paused. "A lot."

"Grief 'as numbed 'our pain. 'Ou 'ill 'ot 'ake it 'ome." **("Grief has numbed your pain. You will not make it home.")**

"Try me." And with that, she took Backbiter, retrieved her watch and left to find an exit.

**And that's all for tonight! Unless I'm feeling nice and update again later… dunno… maybe if you all review… **


	16. Home

"Leo, get up!"

"No…" Leo groaned, swatting at whoever was trying to wake him.

"Get up! We need your fire-proof ass to go to Peleus and get whoever's sat with him!"

"I'll fix it later." Leo complained, not really listening.

"They're hurt, Leo."

"What? Who's hurt? What's going on?" Percy sighed, his shoulders slouching.

"Someone has fallen asleep near Peleus and Thalia's tree. No-one can get close to them without Peleus breathing fire. Get up and get your ass in gear."

"I need coffee." Leo said, rolling over to look at Percy. Percy sighed again.

"Fine. Just hurry up." Leo nodded and got up. Percy left, grumbling.

Five minutes later, Leo emerged from the Hephaestus cabin fully dressed, but still waking up. Percy appeared with a steaming coffee, which brightened Leo's mood considerably. Everyone knew that he slept in until half-nine, ten at the latest and he was too lazy to get up after that.

A crowd had gathered around Peleus, keeping a safe distance from his fire. They saw Leo and slowly started to part.

"Why, thank-you, my loyal subjects." Leo smiled. Many of them rolled their eyes, but he was sure a few girls turned pink in the cheeks. Or maybe that was his hopeful imagination.

Peleus glared at him. Leo stood there, one hand in his pocket while he studied the dragon casually. Leo drained his coffee and handed the mug to a nearby demigod.

The dragon started breathing smoke in warning as Leo approached. Peleus's tail curled around whoever it was leaning against the dragon's side. They had a black and blue cap pulled low over their eyes, wearing black tracksuit bottoms and a navy blue, fleecy jacket zipped up to their chin.

Peleus breathed a stream of fire.

"Peleus, we've talked about this. You can't burn me." Peleus didn't understand and singed Leo's trousers with a burst of fire. "Hey, these are new, watch it." Peleus growled at him. Leo growled back and moved around the dragon. Peleus's growl deepened threateningly, but Leo scratched Peleus's soft spot and the dragon's angry growl turned content. "Yeah, that's what I thought, you big softie." Leo looked at the figure using the dragon as a pillow. Judging by their even and slow breathing, they were asleep. "Hulloooo?" Leo said, giving them a gentle shake in an attempt to wake them up. They hit his hand away and turned away. "Rude." Percy cleared his throat from behind Leo. "Shut it, Jackson." Leo said in a clear imitation of Clarisse.

"Shrimp!" Clarisse shouted from the watching crowd. A few laughs went up.

"I prefer 'average', Clarisse. Unlike you- big, beefy and… well, I'm not going to say anymore." Clarisse glowered at him, but said nothing. "Right." Leo tugged on the beak of the cap. "Hello?" They hit his hand away again, complaining. Leo frowned and gently pulled the cap off.

His smile faded. "Oh my gods…" Leo replaced the cap gently and shifted, hooking his arms under her legs and around her shoulders, lifting her up bridal style.

Percy swore under his breath when he saw who Leo was carrying.

Louisa had come home.


	17. Alive

Louisa opened her eyes.

Wait… that wasn't Thalia's tree…

She sat up and looked around the infirmary.

She was in the Big House.

Louisa recalled a feeling of being carried but had relented under the temptation of sleep. Who had carried her here?

She heard laughter outside and tensed. She knew that laugh…

The door opened and in walked Leo, carrying a tray of roast dinner and a small jug of water. He grinned when he saw her awake.

"How are you feeling?" Louisa didn't answer, staring at him. "Uh, Lou, how are you feeling?" Leo set the tray down on the bedside table. "Helloooo, planet Earth to Louisa…" Leo rapped his knuckles gently on her head. He did not expect her to jump up and hug him tightly.

"You're alive." She mumbled into his chest.

"Uh… yeah…" Leo wrapped his arms around her tentatively. "Why wouldn't I be?" She didn't answer, hugging him tighter.

"Excuse me, but where's my hug?" Leo looked round. Percy stood in the doorway. Louisa didn't seem to respond to his voice, so Percy moved forward and put a hand on his sister's shoulder. She pulled away, holding onto Leo. "Lou, it's me." Percy sounded hurt. "What's the matter?"

"Um…" Leo motioned for Percy to stand closer so he could talk to him quietly. "She thought I was dead." Leo mumbled. Percy looked stunned, redirecting his attention to his sister.

"Lou, look at me." Louisa shook her head. "You're mean, Lou, very mean." She tensed and looked at her brother. "I knew that would work."

"You're OK."

"Yeah."

"Tobias… is he…?"

"He's OK too. Missing his Aunty Lou." Louisa freed Leo and hugged her brother. Leo kind of missed the hug but stayed quiet. "Where've you been, Lou?" Louisa shook her head.

"No…" She mumbled, her voice trembling. Percy and Leo exchanged surprised looks. Percy rubbed his sister's back reassuringly.

"OK, OK." He sighed. "You're back now, Lou." She nodded.

Some of Louisa's injuries had been healed by ambrosia and nectar, but for some reason, Percy's water healing charms weren't working. She had been covered in major and minor burns, bruises of various sizes and recent scars, some fairly deep, but not deep enough to be too serious.

Louisa stayed in her brother's reassuring hug as images flickered across her vision. She looked at the wall, but didn't see it. Instead, she saw the night sky framed around a tree. The moonlight fell on the form hanging by its neck from a thick branch halfway up.

Percy frowned. Something was wrong with his twin- she was shaking chronically. "Lou?" She shook her head, burying her face in his shoulder.

"Uh… should I get Chiron or someone?"

"Could do. Thanks Leo." Leo nodded and left, confusion settling over him. Louisa had been looking at that wall as if it were the world's largest and most dangerous snake alive- Leo had seen her around snakes. It wasn't good.

Something had scared Louisa.

But what? What could possibly scare Louisa other than snakes?


	18. In their element

Percy was woken up by Tobias crying. He and Annabeth took it in turns doing the night shift- Percy would look after Tobias at night on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Annabeth had Tobias for the other nights.

Percy reached out for the lamp he had installed on the bedside table, but only managed to flick his alarm on somehow. Why did he even have an alarm? He hated early mornings.

Tobias continued to cry, kicking his legs and balling his fists.

"I'm here… I'm here…" Percy mumbled, carefully freeing his son from the entanglement of the blankets. "Where's those bottles gone?" He muttered. He was just about to start a search for the baby bottles when he noticed something.

Louisa's bed was empty. It had even been made. Or never slept in. One of them.

But where was Louisa?

Louisa was sitting at the bottom of the lake, staring at the burns and scars on her arms. The water offered a cool relief, but for some reason, it didn't heal her. Right then, she didn't care why it didn't do that, she was trying to keep her attention on her arms rather than the very realistic Annabeth floating lifelessly in the water next to her, blood swirling from the stab wound in Annabeth's chest.

A whiteout of bubbles exploded above her. She had the time to pull her sleeves over her arms. Percy swam past Annabeth, not noticing her. He stood in front of Louisa, holding his hands out to her.

When she didn't raise her hands to be pulled to her feet, Percy sat next to her.

_What's the matter?_ His voice echoed in her mind. Annabeth's floating corpse shivered and vanished. Louisa stared at where it had been. _Lou? _Percy nudged her with his shoulder. _Talk to me, sis. _

_Where's Annabeth?_

_In her cabin? Why?_

_She's OK?_

_Yeah. Lou, what's going on?_

_Nothin'. _

_But-_

_Ya left Tobias on his own. _Percy glared at her.

_Come on, up. _He insisted_. You are not spending the night underwater. _He grabbed her by the wrists and channelled the water to propel them upwards before his sister could fight against him. Worryingly, she didn't charm the water to slow them down so that she could escape. Percy looked at her. Louisa's expression was blank, but her eyes were pained and broken.

Both twins surfaced perfectly dry, but Louisa was shivering.

"Lou?" Percy hugged her, rubbing her back reassuringly. She winced and cringed away. "What?" Percy looked stricken. "Is there something on your back?" She hesitated. "There is. What happened, Lou?"

"I-he…"

"He?" She winced again. Percy thought quickly. "Luke?" Judging by her grimace, the answer was 'yes'. "What'd he do?" Percy felt his temper rising, the water around them boiling. "Tell me what he did and I'll hunt him down and make him regret it."

"I… I can't." Percy saw her grimace hadn't calmed and started taking slow, deep breaths himself. Whatever had happened had cracked his sister, the bloody-minded, stubborn, kick-ass ninja who took shit from no-one. If Percy saw Luke…

"Alright," He sighed. "I'm here if you need to talk, sis." Louisa nodded her thanks, staring at the water as it calmed from her brother's momentary rage.


	19. Talk with Jessica

**I haven't done anything with this in ages. Silly Art… **

**There's a trailer out – The Starving Games. Go and look it up! I know I love the Hunger Games, but this parody is just hilarious!**

* * *

Jessica opened to the door to a figure with a cap pulled over their eyes. She only recognised Louisa by the raven ponytail hanging over her shoulder.

"Where've you been, trouble?" Jessica laughed, pulling Louisa's cap away. Her smile faltered slightly at Louisa's injuries and the damaged look in the demigod's eyes, but she said nothing, forcing the smile to return. "Want some coffee?"

"Go on then." This is why Louisa liked Jessica- despite the obvious standing in front of her- the injuries- Jessica had learnt not to question a demigod's life.

Louisa followed her mother into the kitchen and sat on the counter, helping herself to cookies from the jar. Occasionally, she would skip meals completely, but Chiron had told her to keep her blood sugar levels up, so she snacked on biscuits or chocolate whenever she felt tired and rundown.

"So, what's new with you?" Louisa shrugged, wincing slightly as pain flared in her back. Jessica didn't notice, luckily, and continued making the coffees.

"Not a lot. You?"

"Mm… I was on a dating website…" Jessica looked up cautiously. Louisa was munching on cookies, watching Jessica expectantly. Jessica poured the coffee first, adding the three sugars Louisa liked. "I found a couple of guys, but nothing special."

"Any stalkers?"

"Oh, Lou, honestly." Jessica laughed, handing the coffee over. Louisa tucked the cookie jar under her arm and breathed in the ground bean coffee sent. "No, no stalkers. Just a few younger guys." Louisa froze and stared at her in disbelief. "Oh, shut up." Louisa gave a small smile, sipping at her coffee. "Gimme a biccie."

"No, mine." Louisa held the jar out of reach, smirking.

"You're such a madam, sometimes." Louisa's smirk turned challenging. Jessica sat on the counter next to her and it was just like old times, just with coffees instead of hot chocolates, like it was then. Jessica savoured those moments- they would turn all the lights off and sit in candlelight with the hot chocolates, a big bag of marshmallows, the cookie jar and would tell each other stories until midnight when Jessica insisted Louisa went to bed.

But those times were rare or non-existent now. Jessica knew Louisa had to stand on her own two feet now, but following caring for Louisa for over twelve years now, that was hard.

Jessica was pulled from her thoughts as the cookie jar fell to the floor and shattered, ceramic shards and cookies skidding in all directions across the tile floor. "Lou?" Jessica put her coffee down and put her hand on Louisa's shoulder. She was aware that Louisa was shaking; her eyes wide and fixed on something. Jessica followed her gaze, finding the blank wall. She looked back at Louisa, noticing the glimmer of fear strengthening in the emerald depths. "Lou?" Jessica repeated firmly, shaking Louisa to try and get her attention.

After failing to pull Louisa from the nightmarish trance she was suffering from, Jessica jumped up. "Sorry, Lou." Jessica slapped her.

That worked. Louisa's eyes narrowed, half in annoyance and half in confusion. "Lou, are you OK?"

"Ow…"

"I'm sorry, but I panicked." Jessica admitted. "What's the matter?"

"Don't worry about it."

"Lou, you've turned up on my doorstep with scars all over you; you don't seem like yourself and there's just something about you that's not right."

"Such a supportive mom…"

"Lou, I'm worried about you! Where have you been and how did you get all those injuries? Is… is that a _burn_? Start talking, Lou…" Jessica warned. This was the side of Jessica Louisa didn't want to face today- the stubborn, 'tell-me-what-happened-now-or-suffer-from-my-mothe rly-nagging' side.

"No."

"You don't really have a choice." Louisa winced, Jessica's words so eerily similar to Luke's. "What?" Jessica's tone had softened a great deal having seen the wince.

"Nothin'."

"So, you disappear for nearly two months, return with all these burns and scars and say that nothing's wrong? Well done for being convincing." Jessica said sarcastically. Louisa glowered at the floor, sipping at her coffee and ignoring Jessica.

Jessica continued to badger Louisa with questions, noticing that Louisa's shaking mounted into something chronic. Louisa grew so unnerved, her powers were triggered and the half-full mug of coffee exploded. Jessica fell quiet. "Lou?"

"Just stop naggin', OK? I don't wanna talk about it!" And with that, Louisa stormed out. Jessica followed.

"Lou, please." Jessica grabbed her wrist. Louisa stopped dead in her tracks. "Please…" Jessica begged. "Tell me what happened, I want to help." Louisa sighed.

"I can't…"

"A stubborn demigod told me 'can't' wasn't a word and that nothing was impossible as long as you put your mind to it. Where's that demigod gone?" Louisa's shoulders dropped in defeat.

"I don't know…"

"Is she coming back anytime soon?" Louisa shrugged. "I'm begging you, Lou, please. Tell me what happened." Louisa rubbed at her eyes with her free hand, sighing.

So she told Jessica, watering it down so it was less embarrassing and less uncomfortable. Nonetheless, Jessica was horrified. "'N' this is why I didn't want ta tell ya." Louisa pulled her hand free from Jessica's slack grip and made for the door. Jessica pulled herself together in time, darting forward and pulled Louisa into a hug.

"Oh, Lou…" Louisa didn't respond to the hug, like she used to, now cold and unresponsive, her shoulders tense. "There's something else, isn't there?"

"You're good…" Louisa mumbled.

"I'm your mother, of course I'm good." Jessica held Louisa at arm's length. "Tell me." She insisted.

Louisa didn't answer.


	20. (Chapter rewrite) Talk with Jessica

**I have major writer's block at the moment, but I had this idea this morning and will do my best to remember as much of it as I can.**

**And I forgot to mention this- my mum, get this… my mum, **_**my most favourite person ever**_**, called Leo Valdez UGLY. I showed her that picture I've used for 'Aw, ickle Leo!' and she didn't seem to understand the importance of Leo Valdez! I told her, 'Mum, that is going on Fanfiction and so many people will kill you.' Mum just laughed. Me: YOU WON'T BE LAUGHING WHEN THE FANGIRLS COME AFTER YOU! Mum: OK, I'm scared now. Me: Good. Now go to bed, you've disgusted me. **

**I love my mum, but how dare she insult Leo!**

* * *

Jessica opened the door to find someone swaying on the spot with a cap pulled over their eyes and the collar of the jacket pulled up.

She recognised the ponytail hanging over the visitor's shoulder and relief flooded over her.

"Did you lose your key again, Lou?" Jessica laughed softly, wrapping her daughter in her arms. Louisa tensed, but eventually returned the hug. "Where've you been, sweetie?" Louisa didn't reply. Jessica held her at arm's length and removed the cap. "Oh my gods…" Jessica breathed; her eyes wide with shock. She gingerly reached out to examine a burn mark across Louisa's cheek, but the demigod flinched. Bruises and recent scars surrounded the burn wound. "What-? Who-? How did-?" Jessica grabbed Louisa's hand and marched her into the apartment, ordering the daughter of Poseidon to sit on the couch.

Jessica hurried to the kitchen, returning a minute later with a bowl of water and a clean cloth. She sat next to her daughter, balancing the bowl in her lap. She gently dabbed at the wounds, praying to Poseidon that they healed. "How did you get these, Lou?" Louisa cringed away from the cloth and didn't reply. Jessica didn't force her, but murmured words of reassurance.

The water worked its magic instantly. Within seconds, the burn mark had healed, leaving nothing- not even a scar.

A few minutes later, with much reassurance from Jessica to a monotonous and unresponsive Louisa, the water had healed up every bump and bruise over Louisa's face and neck. But her feeling of self-pride at her work didn't last long, a nagging feeling pulsing at the back of her mind. "There's more, isn't there?" Louisa's expression twisted from an emotionless mask to a pained grimace. "Stay. There." Jessica ordered, carrying the bowl back to the kitchen.

Louisa watched her walk past and straight into the bathroom. Seconds later, she heard the taps running. Jessica came back in and took Louisa by the hands, pulling her to her feet and supporting the unsteady demigod to the bathroom.

Clear, lukewarm water was filling the bath. Louisa sat on the floor, falling from Jessica's grip. Her head was spinning and a wave of nausea was coursing through her relentlessly. "Tell me who did this, Lou. I'll rip their heads off." That bought a small smile to Louisa's lips.

"See, that's why I like ya." Jessica's stern expression softened slightly and she turned to turn the taps off.

Moments later, Louisa was sat in the bathtub, in the T-shirt she had stolen from Leo while Jessica stared in horror at the various wounds all over.

Jessica mentally shook herself, snatching up a small towel. She soaked it completely in the water and gently started dabbing at the wounds. Louisa winced, but said nothing.

While doing this, Jessica noticed the words scarred into Louisa's wrists.

"You didn't do those, did you?" Louisa shook her head and Jessica hurriedly moved on to healing those up as well. "Don't do that." Louisa looked at Jessica, frowning slightly. "If you were thinking about it or had the temptation to do that, please don't." Jessica begged, her eyes shining with tears. "Promise me, Lou." Louisa muttered her promise and looked down at her hands. "What happened?" Louisa shook her head, a grimace constricting her features. "You can talk to me, you know that. I won't tell anyone, I promise." Louisa continued to study her hands, swallowing nervously.

Jessica did not expect the tears suddenly welling up in the demigod's broken sea green eyes. "Lou…" She dropped the towel in the bath and held her daughter's face in her hands, sitting on the edge of the bath. "Oh, sweetheart, talk to me."

Louisa didn't want to, but she found herself telling Jessica everything- the torture, the nightmares… Luke's needy visits...

When Louisa eventually fell silent, Jessica enveloped her in a hug as best she could. Louisa clung to her, uncontrollable sobs wracking her body.

* * *

It took another fifteen minutes for Jessica to heal every injury covering Louisa, but there was no way she could heal the pain tearing at her daughter from the inside.

By then, Louisa's sobs had calmed down, leaving her a shell-shocked, shaking mess curled up on the sofa.

Jessica couldn't get her to eat or sleep or anything.

The demigod only stirred when a frantic knocking thumped on the door. She looked terrified at the sudden racket.

"Who is it?" Jessica called, cautiously moving towards the door.

"It's Leo!"

"Who's Leo?" Jessica hissed to Louisa. Louisa mumbled something about Leo being 'a friend', so Jessica answered the door. "Do I know you?"

"You should." Leo smiled. "Is Lou here?"

"She's not in the best of ways… Wait, you're Torch."

"Yeah, that's me." Leo's smile brightened slightly, flames curling around his fingers and across his palm in demonstration. Jessica remembered him now. "Honestly, how could you forget me?"

"Shut up, Leo." His smile stayed in place as Jessica moved aside to let him in.

"Oh, I kind of ditched Dylan, Mikey and Connor- they're taking the stairs."

"You didn't break the elevator, did you?"

"No…" Leo mocked being horrified at the accusation. "A little…" He admitted. "It's just stopping at all the floors, but the doors won't open."

"Fix it!" Jessica demanded.

"Yeah, I will- Lou first though." Jessica sighed.

"You always get the weird friends, Lou." Louisa didn't respond, watching Leo carefully with cautious, yet broken eyes.

"You," Leo pointed at Louisa accusingly, a cheeky gleam in his eyes, "put me in danger. We saw you were missing and Percy tried to kill me." Leo cleared his throat and did his best impression of Percy. "You were supposed to be watching her, you scrawny midget!" Leo switched to his normal voice. "It took Annabeth, Grover, Clarisse and Chiron to get him to put Riptide away and for me to escape. You need to sort that brother of yours out, Lou. He's a right mental case."

"And you're not?" Dylan challenged, walking through the open door. He didn't look happy with Leo. Neither did Connor or Mikey.

Leo just smiled sweetly at them.

"Lou's back!" Mikey beamed, bouncing forward. He dragged Louisa to her feet and hugged her tightly. "I thought we wouldn't see you again, sis." Louisa smiled weakly, feebly returning her adoptive brother's hug. Leo spoke for her.

"She's like a boomerang. Throw her away as hard as you like, but she'll come back."

"And smack you in the face." Connor finished, joining the hug. "Dylan's too _manly_ for all this emotional, touchy-feely stuff."

"What's wrong with touchy-feely stuff?" Dylan smirked.

"Dylan!" Mikey and Connor scolded. Dylan just laughed, but he did move forward to join their brotherly/sisterly hug.

"I've only just noticed, but no burn." Leo tapped his cheek, looking at Jessica.

"I… I managed to heal the wounds with water and help from Poseidon." Understanding dawned on Leo's face and he smiled.

"We tried- Percy tried- but nothing happened." Jessica shrugged, looking back at her daughter. Judging by Louisa's expression, she was getting claustrophobic.

"Guys, leave her alone now." Jessica smiled, moving forward to break up the huddle. Dylan and Connor obeyed, fully aware of how deadly Jessica could be with a spatula, but Mikey protested.

"No! She's mine!" He clung to Louisa.

"Dude, I will burn you." Mikey's eyes widened and his smile faded.

"He burns people?"

"Son of Hephaestus, at your service," Leo gave a mock half-bow, "but the fire control thing is, like, a one in a gazillion chance thing or whatever. Last guy that had it did the fire of London thing." Mikey looked interested.

"Mikey, shut up." Dylan said, moving forward and clamping a hand over Mikey's mouth. Leo was watching him quizzically. "Tell Mikey you're a demigod and he will badger you with questions."

"How many questions would that be?" Leo asked curiously.

"Enough questions to make you want to shoot yourself." Connor replied simply. Mikey pulled a face at his two friends. "And he's gay." Mikey swatted Dylan's hand away so he could speak.

"I'm not gay!"

"You are partially gay- don't argue with us."

"I'm not gay, I'm bi; there is a difference."

"Whatever you say, Mikey, you'll always be the gay best friend to us." Mikey folded his arms sulkily.

"You've upset him now." Louisa mumbled, smiling weakly. There was a pained look in her eyes, but whether anyone other than Jessica noticed it, they didn't show or say anything.

* * *

It was decided that Louisa stayed with Jessica for comfort and support from a most trusted person. Leo did his best to visit every two days unless he couldn't get away from Camp. He was a year-rounder, much to the annoyance of his cabin mates.

Dylan, Mikey and Connor visited often as well, mostly on the days Leo couldn't. Sometimes they turned up together or it was just two of them or sometimes just one of them, but their presence was often made.

Sally even turned up, much to Louisa's confusion. Her relationship with her biological mother was rocky as Louisa was annoyed at her for keeping Percy and giving her up for adoption as well as the fact that Louisa didn't see Sally as her mother. In her eyes, Jessica was her real mom and there was no changing that.

"I made you cake." Sally offered, smiling sheepishly as she held out the peace offering. It had Louisa's name iced on the surface in red and cursive. "It's chocolate. You like chocolate, right?" Louisa nodded, silently yet gratefully taking the cake.

"Ooh, I want some." Leo bounced up, glancing at the cake hungrily over Louisa's shoulder. "What? Chocolate cake is my weakness." Louisa rolled her eyes and walked to the kitchen, Leo on her heels like an obedient puppy. "Give Leo chocolate cake." Leo growled, masking his voice in an attempt to sound mysterious and psychic. It didn't work, obviously. He quickly fell silent when she drew a knife from the kitchen drawer and the relief on his face was humorous when she didn't stab him and sliced the cake instead.

"How's she doing?" Sally asked quietly. Jessica sighed.

"Not that well. She's having these nightmares every night and just refuses to sleep in the end." Sally looked in Louisa's direction, pity and worry etched all over her face.

"Do you know what's happened?" Jessica hesitated and suspicion crept into Sally's gaze. "What? Tell me." She pleaded. Jessica shook her head.

"I promised her I wouldn't tell anyone." Sally made to protest, but Jessica cut across her in stern, but quieter tones. "What happened left her a sobbing wreck, alright? Louisa never cries." Sally looked stricken.

"She's going to stab me!" Leo's cry for help interrupted their conversation and he was suddenly running out of the kitchen, towards them. He hid behind Jessica as Louisa appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, holding a knife covered in chocolate cake.

"Lou, put the knife down." Jessica smiled, moving towards her daughter. Leo instantly took Sally as cover.

"I can see why you and Percy get on." Sally smiled at him. Leo returned it casually and cheekily.

Jessica had disarmed Louisa of the knife, much to Leo's relief.

"I want cake as well. Get the plates."

"I want the knife." Louisa insisted quietly.

"No. You're not allowed knives anymore."

"That's not fair." Louisa grumbled, but didn't give any signs of further argument.

A few minutes later, the four of them were sat around the table, munching on cake. Well, Leo had finished his within twenty seconds and was trying to nab Louisa's slice jokingly. He did not expect Louisa to push her plate towards him.

"Lou, I was joking." Leo pushed the plate towards her, but she shook her head. "Hey, are you OK?" Leo's smile had gone, replaced with worry at how pale and sickly she looked.

In response, she got up and hurried to the bathroom. Jessica quickly followed, leaving Leo to look at Sally in confusion. Sally shrugged and got up as well.

Louisa was kneeling in front of the toilet. Jessica was holding her hair back and rubbing Louisa's back as Louisa bought up the little she had eaten in the last few days.

Leo and Sally awkwardly hovered in the doorway until Louisa had finished.

"If I catch anything off you, you won't have a very happy Leo on your hands." Leo smiled weakly, his attempt at lightening the mood. Louisa's expression softened a fraction in amusement, but she was still pale with a thin sheen of sweat covering her face.

Leo moved to the sink and picked up the face cloth, soaking it before turning. He smirked at Louisa, holding the cloth by two corners. He laid it over her face and took a step back. Louisa removed it and glowered at him feebly, but she seemed grateful for the water.

"Are you OK now?" Jessica asked, holding Louisa's face in her hands tentatively. Louisa shrugged, resting her forehead on Jessica's shoulder.

* * *

**OK, this is leading up to stuff. And if you have a message for my mum about her insult to Leo, leave one, but not too violent or too rude otherwise she will be after me for telling you lot. **


End file.
